Planning a winter family portrait session can be tricky, especially in Maine. Typically, I limit sessions to just one location, sometimes two locations, however, in the case of the “N” family, I was a bit more flexible. The weather had been pretty decent in December and then just after the Christmas holiday, the temperatures plummeted to ridiculous singles and teen-digits with wind chills in the negative numbers. No one wants to have their portrait captured when your nose is red and snotty and you can’t feel your toes. No one. The “N” Family was only here for the week to visit family for the holidays and then they were headed back south to their “warmer” neck of the country – and later in the week wasn’t really going to work because the temperatures weren’t going up anytime soon – they were getting colder. It was 15 degrees with a wind chill of -5. The good news was this: It had recently snowed and then the temperatures dropped and the snow never really melted off the trees entirely like it usually does. So although we had this crazy wind with a negative chill factor, we had beautiful trees covered in snow. Nancy had it all planned out perfectly. The rest of the family obliged her need for wintery photographs of them together and marched along the path to succeeding in this plan. I commend them for both their effort and their enthusiasm. I met them at David’s family’s home and we started our cars, walked over to the marsh and snapped the fastest set of images of my life. The wind was astronomically strong and COLD so we didn’t mess around.
We all ran back to the car and then we were off to location number two. You see, with more than one location you can hop in the car (that has been running the entire time), warm up while you drive to the next location, and then hop out again. We got out, ran over to the next spot and then my inner monologue spoke out and asked to take a few in the shelter of these trees where we were. It was so stinkin’ pretty HOW COULD I NOT? It wasn’t part of the plan, but I needed to add a couple of extra minutes to the plan. I’m so glad we did.
Then we skuttled off to the next location and then ended just around the corner from my own house where we found the windiest and the most slippery spot in town. It made for some great photographs of everyone laughing while David almost took them all down with him. (I am happy to report that no one fell!) 
Winter portraits ARE possible if you plan them in close proximity to where the car is parked (if it is tooooo cold to be outside for longer than 15 minutes) and either plan on getting in and out of the car in the one spot or pick a few locations within (one) town and make the most of it. I am totally game for staying toasty warm even if it means we drive all over town. In this instance, everyone was super cooperative, they were all happy to make mom happy, and the results show. Even if someone wasn’t happy to be out in the cold, I still think it would be memorable and worth every shot. 
Here are some tips for when the winter temps are just not cutting it: Don’t do a session.
haha Just kidding.
Work around your original plan (if you had one). Did you want to do a session at home? Easy. Just make plans to run in and out of the house a few times to warm up. Have towels ready at the door so that the floors don’t get (too) wet. Is there a park nearby or a little grove of trees that is just picture perfect in the winter? Bring snacks, handwarmers, and even make a plan to go to a nearby coffee shop or back home and share in the delight of hot cocoa. Or do like the “N” family did and let’s drive to the picturesque spots in town and hop out of the car a few times.
If the temperatures are moderate/seasonable enough then pick something outside that will be fun for all of you. If your kids love the snow and being outside, then by all means, do a session where you all play in the snow! Build a snowman, have a semi-snowball fight, build a fort, or go ice skating! There are so many cute little spots around southern Maine that have great places for ice skating… not just at a rink. Then you can all go back inside, snuggle up together on the couch, share some hot cocoa or just relish in the warmth of the blanket and being silly together. It doesn’t have to be complicated especially when there are smaller kids involved. Just like all things in life when little kids are involved, the simpler the better.
Have you ever dreamt of having winter portraits of your family created? Here is a winter at-home session that I photographed where we went outside and also did some fun things inside.